Adjustable brace for windmill-towers



M. J. ALTHOUSE.

d Oct; 4, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

MILO J. ALTHOUSE, OF WAUPUN, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE BRACE FOR WlNDMlLL-TOWERS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,520, dated October4, 1892.

Application filed April 23, 1892. Serial No. 430,308- (No model.)

.now commonly employed no means have been provided for convenientlyadjusting the brace-rods used in connection therewith. As

these rods often become slack, a convenient means of rendering the sametaut is of course a desideratum.

My device has in contemplation the accomplishment of theabove-pointed-out desirable object; and with this in view the inventionconsists in the improved construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of afragmentof a Windmilltower embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalview on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the inner angular surfaceof a fragment of one of the uprights composing the tower, illustratingthe means for securing the extremities of the brace-rods; and Fig. 4 isa detail view of the adjusting device.

Like letters of reference designate like parts throughout. all thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the steel uprights,which are of the usual angular form and are connected and held theproper distance apart by horizontal braces B, preferably of rectangularform, in order to constitute a continuous connection for the fouruprights.

The letter 0 indicates the brace rods or wires, the ends of which arepassed through apertures formed at the angles of the several uprightsand then bent down at right angles upon the inner side of the metal. Inorder to secure these ends firmly against being drawn out of theseapertures, I provide bolts D, passing through said apertures and betweenthe several wires, the inner ends of said bolts receiving between theheads thereof and the bent ends of the wires metal washers E, bearingfirmly against said wires or rods. Similar washers F are inserted uponthe outer ends of the bolts, which latter are screwthreaded to receivenuts G, said nuts being screwed tightly against the washers. It will beseen that by this arrangement the ends of the wires are held mostsecurely in place. The wires after leaving the apertures are extended inloop form to the spaces between the up rights, the looped ends thereofbeing brought near to each other.

The adjusting mechanism is shown clearly in Fig. 4, and it will be seenthat it consists of a bolt II, provided with a hooked upper end andreceiving thereon loosely a collar I, said collar provided withsemicircular recesses e' to receive the looped portion of the lowerbrace-rods. The upper hooked portions of the bolts H engage the loopedportions of the upper brace-wires. Upon the lower screw-threaded ends ofthe bolts work nuts J, which are adapted to be turned against thecollars I, and thereby force the latter upwardly and at the same timedraw bolts H downwardly. This of course has the effect of bringing thetwo looped ends of the bracewires closer together, and thus compensatefor any slack that may exist. In order to loosen the braces, the nut isturned in the reverse direction, as is obvious. I

It will be noticed that the apertures formed at the angles of theseveral uprights receive therein the ends of four diiferent wires orrods. From Fig. 1 of the drawings the course taken by these wires willbe readily understood. Each aperture throughout the series receives oneend of each of two of the wires whose loops are upward and located uponangularlyadjacent sides of the tower and also receiving one end each oftwo of the wires similarly located, but having their looped portionsdownward.

While I prefer to use myinvention in connection with steel towers forwindmills, and have so shown and described the same in thisspecification, still I do not wish to be understood as limiting myselfto that particular adaptation, inasmuch as it may be found equallydesirable not only in other classes of windmill-towers, but also instructures adapted for different purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an adjusting device, the combination of looped wires, a bolthaving a hooked end to engage one of the loops and its opposite endscrew-threaded, a collar loose upon said bolt to receive the other loop,and a nut turning upon the screw-threads against the collar,substantially as set forth.

2. In an adjusting device, the combination of looped wires, a bolthaving a hooked end to engage one of the loops and its opposite endscrew-threadedfa collar loose upon'said bolt and. provided with a recessconforming to and receiving the other loop, and a nut turning upon thescrew-threads against the collar, substantially as set forth.

3. In an adjustingdevice, the combination of a tower composed ofuprights provided with apertures, a series of looped brace-wires uponthe sides of the tower, having their looped portions adjacent, the endsof said wires secured in the apertures, each aperture throughout theseries receiving one end of each of two of the wires Whose loops areupward and located upon angularly-adjacent sides of the tower and alsoreceiving one end of two of the wires similarly located, but havingtheir looped portions downward, and adjusting devices constructed toengage the adjacent loops and draw the same closer together or fartherapart, substantially as set forth.

4. In an adjusting device, the combination of a tower composed ofangular uprights provid ed with apertures at the angles thereof, aseries of looped brace-wires upon the sides of the tower, having theirlooped portions adjacent, the ends of said wires secured in theapertures, each aperture throughout the series receiving one end of twoof the wires Whose loops are upward and located upon angularlyadjacentsides of the tower and also receiving one end of two of the wiressimilarly located, but having their looped portions downward, boltspassing through the apertures, the heads of said bolts having metallicwashers interposed between the same and the inner bent ends of thewires, nuts upon the outer ends of the bolts, washers interposed betweenthe same and the outer portions of the wires, and adjusting devices forengaging the loops and drawing the samevcloser together or'fartherapart, substantially as set the uprights, bolts inserted between thewires, washers interposed between the wires and the heads of said boltsupon one side of the uprights, and washers upon the opposite side of theuprights, inserted between the wires, and nuts upon the threaded ends ofthe bolts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILO J. ALTHOUSE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. MORSELL, (J. T. BENEDICT.

